I'm currently structuring the per-product index of CV, but I never played a single CV in my life, so I need some aids from others. My main question is, of the rest of CV games, what're the ones we should give their own entries (hereinafter, Title), and what're the ones we should keep in the other entries (hereinafter, Release).

---Games I'm not sure how to do with--

Akumajo Dracula (MSX2) (aka Vampire Killer)Title or Release. Looks like a port/cross-platform release of the first CV, but Wikipedia says the game system was different.

Akumajo Dracula (X68000)Title or Release. Wikipedia says the X68000 version was basically a remake of the first CV. The problem is that Castlevania Chronicles was a remake of this game. Would everybody agree both X68000 and Chronicles are placed well within the first CV's entry?

Akumajo Dracula: Dark Night Prelude (aka Castlevania Legends)Title. Every site says the reading of the Japanese subtitle was, not Shikkoku taru Zensoukyoku, but Dark Night Prelude. I can't find a solid source, although I have little issue with using it. Wikipedia also says it's officially translated as evil's Castle Dracula: Dark Night Prelude.

Akumajo Dracula: Mokushiroku (aka Castlevania)Title. I'd rather be concerned if the display title should be Castlevania 64. Even though it's not the official title, I think plain "Castlevania" will be confusing especially the album also includes tracks from the CV, on the condition that the literal translation shouldn't be used (Castlevania: Apocalypse).

I would be missing several games, but we don't necessarily need to submit games with no album release (unless it's one of the main installments in the series). Also, the color coding here is based on the bottom of the page.

Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun and Kid Dracula should perhaps be regarded as different games.

悪魔城すぺしゃる ぼくドラキュラくん was released for the Famicom in 1990, but was never released in the west. Later, in 1993, a semi-sequel/remake, also called 悪魔城すぺしゃる ぼくドラキュラくん was released in Japan for the GameBoy, and a few months later it was released in the west as Kid Dracula.

The two games are pretty much the same, but I think there are enough differences to say that they aren't quite the same game, for example in the FC game you get coins from killing enemies which you can use to play mini-games in-between stages, and this wasn't in the GB game. There is even a dialog sequence at the start of the GameBoy game that tells you that the final boss from the first game has returned.

Thanks for clarification. I think I was going to add Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun (GB) / Kid Dracula (GB) as Release of the NES game, assuming they were just ports, but the dialog indicates it was closer to a sequel.

Another borderline case is Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. This is ostensibly regarded as a remake of the first Castlevania: The Adventure, so perhaps it should've been kept as a release (I thought it would be one of the main installments, as Gradius ReBirth was, although Wikipedia says it was also a remake of Nemesis).

Akumajo Dracula (MSX2) (aka Vampire Killer)
Ya, this is a port of the original Vampire Killer game. Some minor elements of the game were different but the overall game is a port.

Akumajo Dracula (X68000)
I would agree that both this and Chronicles could fall under CV. They're both remakes of the same original game. People even argue that Super CV IV is also just a remake of CV1. >_>

And ReBirth is a remake, yes. It's the same game prettied up. Gradius ReBirth is a new game. Not sure about Contra ReBirth though...

akumajou dracula the msx2 game is not just a port, akumajou dracula the x68000 game is a full-blown remake, castlevania chronicles is a port of akumajou dracula the x68000 game (the "arrange" mode is just minor changes), i doubt anyone would tell you dracula densetsu rebirth is a port, akumajo dracula the sfc game is meant to be a remake (fuck that localization noise)

Every remake listed above needs to be considered as a stand-alone title, with its own personality. Just as if you go to IMDB and type "Dracula" you'll find lots of flicks with similar plots and titles but still separate entries.

The issue is all more meaningful on a game music related website, since every "remake" (with the exception of the MSX2 game) features an all new soundtrack and even introduces new important BGM themes.
The SFC Akumajo Dracula is a "remake" but without it the series would be without the "Theme of Simon Belmont". The X68000 game is also a "remake" but no game before it featured tunes such as "Moon Fight".
Dracula Densetsu Rebirth might be a reimagining of Dracula Densetsu (very loosely based upon), but it still has a unique soundtrack by Namiki. Even the Psone "enhanced port" of the X68000 game needs to be considered a full fleshed entry, at least musically, due to the awesome work of Sotaro Tojima.

In short, the "remake" issue when talking of Castlevania is a moot point. It's a term that's strictly related to a plot-fictional storyline issue. It has nothing to do with the fact that these games were often produced for very different hardwares, redone by scratch, and several years later from their source of inspiration. Every entry in the series needs to be in a database, and straightforward "ports" are really a minority (Xbox Curse of Darkness, Saturn Symphony, Famicom Mini Castlevania and little else)

Thanks for opinion. That or the current system's restriction (only plain "Castlevania" is on this album) makes me find it more reasonable to give them a separated entry. I (or somebody else) will work on them, once moving or deleting release is implemented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gambler

Dracula Densetsu Rebirth might be a reimagining of Dracula Densetsu (very loosely based upon), but it still has a unique soundtrack by Namiki.

I think Dracula Densetsu Rebirth brings another question. I actually find the score is pretty derivative, in that it's basically collections of arranged past materials and there is only a thin line between it or the likes of Harmony of Despair and arranged albums. We have to come up with how to link those to each track origin without making the product field chaotic.

I think Dracula Densetsu Rebirth brings another question. I actually find the score is pretty derivative, in that it's basically collections of arranged past materials and there is only a thin line between it or the likes of Harmony of Despair and arranged albums. We have to come up with how to link those to each track origin without making the product field chaotic.

Which brings up another point. A lot of what we call "arrangement" here at VGMdb would be called "composition" in the classical music world. Things such as Symphonic Fantasies, for example, would be free fantasias on themes by their respective composers; the one doing the "composition", in terms of structuring and creating the piece, would be the person whom we refer to as an arranger.

But, it's more important to be consistent within the database than to have our definitions coincide with everyone else's.

I knew there was some major part of our normal interface that I was forgetting. Anyway, I've got the code for release delete all written up, but I have a problem with the server that is preventing me from getting the code pushed up. Hopefully we'll be able to get that worked out by the weekend.